Farmersgirl Kitchen

Thursday, 13 June 2013

Jam, Jam, Jam, Jam - and a Giveaway!

If you think that you make first class jam, or even if you'd like to see just how your jam fares against other competitors, then you should enter

The World Jampionships

a global celebration of everyone's favourite spread. Now in its third year the competition, which invites jam entries from all over the world, has extended its categories to include team entries, the bairns’ jam, international flavours and a specific section for ladies of the SWRI and WI.

Inspired by the world-class, soft fruit fields of Blairgowrie and the berry pickers of years gone by THE WORLD JAMPIONSHIPS are here to encourage us to preserve our heritage, our recipes and to unite us all in our love of jam. Entries are open to homemakers and artisans, experts and beginners.

Participants are invited to send in, or drop off, their jam entries between May 14th and August 16th 2013. The jam entries will be judged by a small, expert group that includes a chef, two artisan jam producers, a home economics teacher and the resident SWRI expert (full details can be found at www.worldjampionships.com).

Winners will be announced at Dundee Flower and Food Festival on Friday 6th September.

HISTORY OF JAM

Jam recipes are included in "Of Culinary Matters", a recipe book written in the first century by the Roman, Marcus Gavius Apicius. The origins of jam however, remain one of our unsolved culinary mysteries as the precise culture and date of its arrival is a matter of historical debate! What we do know is that everyone’s favourite spread is mentioned throughout history and appears to have been enjoyed globally for many centuries.
Jam-making in Europe can be traced back to the 16th century Spaniards who had been preserving fruits for generations. In Britain, jams origins are in Tudor times where there are records of a preserve called a sucket, a cross between candied peel and jam.

Now you are ready to make your own jam, if you have never done so before don't be put off, it's really quite simple, just follow the instructions carefully.

BASIC RASPBERRY JAM RECIPE
900gms (2lbs) Fresh Raspberries 900gms (2lbs) Sugar (Makes approx 6x227g jars or 3x450g jars)
Method
Put the raspberries in your pan and cook for 3-4 mins until juice begins to run, bring to boiling point.Stir in the sugar and keep stirring, do not let the jam boil before the sugar has
dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, boil rapidly until set is reached. This can take as little as 5 mins.
Remove from heat once set has been reached, carefully pour into sterilised jars, filling to 4mm of top of jar. Cover with lid or wax disc and cellophane cover.

If you would like to learn how to make the kind of jam that wins prizes you need a copy of First Preserves 'Jams' an e-book by Vivien Lloyd. This is a great little book full of excellent information about preserving, Vivien shares the knowldege she has gained as a WI judge and prize-winning preserve maker. It includes Vivien talking you through the process of making Raspberry and Apple jam in a step-by-step embedded video, and a range of recipes. There is even a chapter on Competitions which gives you all the information about what the judges are looking for, helping you to win prizes.

I have one copy of First Preserves Jams, worth £5.49 to giveaway. This is an enhanced e-book and only available to download to Ipad if you win you will receive a code and can download the book via Vivien Lloyd Preserves website. If you don't win the giveaway and you still want to give your jams the best chance of winning the Jampionships or your local show, then you can buy First Preserves - Jams for £5.49 either the website or direct from Itunes
To win enter follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here are some links to the jam recipes that I have posted on my blog:
Rhubarb and Ginger Jam
Mixed Berry Jam
Gooseberry Jam
Pineapple Chilli Jam
Tomato Chilli Jam
Cranberry Jam

Jam, Jam, Jam, Jam (with apologies to Monty Python). I am supporting the Jampionships because I do not want the art of preserving to die out, I have enjoyed homemade jam all my life and would like future generations to have the same pleasure. Thanks to Vivien and Nigel Lloyd for the copy of First Preserves Jam to review and for providing a copy of this excellent e-book as a giveaway.

Labels: atisan jam, berries, Blairgowrie, Dundee Flower and Food Festival, First Preserves, giveaway, History of Jam, jam, jampionships, raspberry jam recipe, Scone Palace, SWRI, Vivienne Lloyd, WI, world jampionships

Saturday, 2 March 2013

The Marmalade Awards 2013

These quirky awards were founded in 2006 by Jane Hasell-McCosh with the initial idea of preserving, growing and widening one of the most British of customs – making marmalade. They have gone on to generate a following far beyond Jane’s wildest expectations and allow many different varieties of marmalade to come together and allow the judges the great opportunity to taste them all!
Proceeds from amateur entry fees will be donated to charity. The 2013 beneficiaries are Hospice at Home and Action Medical Research.

The idea of entering and visiting the Marmalade Awards came out of some Twitter exchanges with Sue from A little bit of Heaven on a Plate and Karen from Lavender and Lovage. It's not that far over the border for me to get to Dalemain Mansion near Penrith where the awards are held, so I was keen to attend. I managed to source some Seville oranges and duly sent off my pot of Seville Orange Marmalade.

The Awards are centred on Dalemain Mansion, a Georgian stately home lived in by the same family for over 300 years, which also happens to hold a very rich archive of Marmalade recipes. The courtyard of Dalemain was set up with various stalls selling artisan foods and other related product. I met up with Sue in the courtyard...NO that's not her, that's an Alpaca!!! Sue likes to preserve a little mystery so there are no photos of her in this blog post. Unfortunately, Karen wasn't able to join us, but we were able to meet up with Vivienne Lloyd, more of that later.

I bought some flour from Little Salkeld Watermill, which is located near Penrith, I'll write a little more about their plans for a community buy out of the Watermill soon.

I also bought a couple of fabulous looking and tasting loaves from More, Artisan Bakery. I chose the Lakeland Walnut and Treacle Loaf and Rye with Figs and Walnuts

As well as the stalls, there was a marquee with workshops and lectures and the location of sponsors Mackays of Dundee.

It was soon time to hear the prize winners announced by, celebrity baker and author, Dan Lepard at the front of Dalemain Mansion.

Here are the winners in the children's category

There was quite a crowd outside the mansion despite it being pretty cold standing there.

Paddington Bear was there with his marmalade sandwich.

The hostess of the Marmalade Festival and Awards was also in attendance.

Jane, a self confessed marmalade bore, is passionate about the preserve. As a child she helped her mother make marmalade year-round, a tradition she has continued with her own three children.

Frustrated by an apparent growing decline in the popularity and standards of marmalade making, Jane decided six years ago to hold a small event with her friends, celebrating this most British of preserve and, at the same time, raising money for Hospice at Home. This became an annual event, growing in size every year, and is now the largest of its kind in the world.

And then it was time to enter the house and find out how we had got on with our marmalade entries. I did not have high hopes as I knew mine was over set and the peel was too thick (I'm not patient enough to spend two hours finely slicing peel!) what I didn't expect was that I would have two points deducted for using a 'commercial' jar! There was no mention in the terms of entry of the type of jar to use and one of the the winning entries used the same type of jar. What was really thrilling was how well Sue did with her entries, a gold and two silver stars! Karen also managed to collect a silver, a bronze and a merit for her entries. Huge congratulations to both!

Winning Merry Marmalade in same 'commercial' jar as my entry

The Awards have inspired people from all over the world to get involved. In 2010, 800 jars of marmalade were sent in from countries far and wide including the Yukon - Canada, Japan, Australia, Spain and France. I overheard one of the organisers say that there were nearly 1500 entries this year.

International Marmalade entries

Amazing Marmalade display in the dining room

The rooms were packed and everyone was very friendly, you can just see me (in the turquoise hat) chatting to some poor innocent bystander!

Oh, there I go again, chatting away to people I've never met before, and looking scarily like my mother from behind - eek! Thanks Sue!

In the middle of the 'madding crowds' sat a huddle of judges, tasting and judging marmalade from Britain and Australia for the Marmalashes Award. That's Vivienne Lloyd, author of First Preserves and winner of the 2008 Marmalade Festival, with Dan Lepard to her right.

Pam 'the jam' Corbin was also judging along with representatives from Fortnum and Mason and Mackays, the last remaining producer of marmalade in Dundee, the home of marmalade.

I loved this replica of Dalemain Mansion with the jars of Artisan marmalade in the the 'windows'.

And here I am with a Marmalade coloured VW Beetle outside Dalemain, what a great day out!

The winners:
Amateurs:　Best in Show - Yen-Chung Chong; Man Made dark and chunky - Adrian Young, Canberra, Australia; Man Made Seville -Tom Maier, Compton, West Sussex; Children's (sponsored by Paddington Bear) - Matthew Foster, Stanwick, Northamptonshire and William Preston, Silsden, West Yorkshire; Seville - Margaret Burke, Knutsford, Cheshire; Heritage (sponsored by Mackays) – Mary & Nicholas Hart, Morden, Surrey; International (sponsored by Mackays) Tom Benford, Kyoto, Japan; Dark and Chunky – Elizabeth Maclay, Andover, Hampshire; Merry - Yen-Chung Chong, Brighton; Novice - Jane Boylan, Penrith, Cumbria; Any Citrus - Jonathan Hamel Cooke, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire; Clergy - Rev James Milnes, Macclesfield; Tri-Services - Colonel Kieran O’Kelly, Andover, Hampshire.
Artisan & Commercial Producers: Double Gold - Nase Dobroty
Gold – Nase Dobroty (Marmalade with Interesting Additions Bourbon and Vanilla), Hubble Preserves (Fine Seville Orange Marmalade), Bracken Hill Fine Foods (Savoury Marmalade Orange and Cider), Mary’s Marmalade (Medium Seville and Any Citrus Grapefruit), Radnor Preserves (Medium Seville, Any Citrus Blood Orange and Any Citrus Lime), Mrs Jampot’s Parlour (Savoury Marmalade Clove and Cinnamon), JR Jams (Any Citrus Marmalade Three Fruit), Jammy Bodger (Medium Seville), Jill’s Natural Preserves (Marmalade with Interesting Additions with Somerset Brandy), Love Jam Kitchen (Any Citrus Marmalade Pink Grapefruit), Wild & Fruitful (Savoury Marmalade Thai Lime), Beta 5 Chocolates (Any Citrus Marmalade Yuzu).

To find out more about the Marmalade Awards visit www.marmaladeawards.com.

Labels: A little bit of Heaven on a Plate, Dan Lepard, Fortnum and Mason, Lavender and Lovage, Little Salkeld Watermill, Mackays, marmalade awards, More Artisan Bakery, oranges, Pam Corbin, Vivienne Lloyd

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Farmersgirl Kitchen

Thursday, 13 June 2013

Jam, Jam, Jam, Jam - and a Giveaway!

Saturday, 2 March 2013

The Marmalade Awards 2013

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